Movement governor for generator voltage control



Nov. 28, 1933. E. B. THURSTON MOVEMENT GOVERNOR FOR GENERATOR VOLTAGE CONTROL Filed Feb. 20. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.1

Nov. 28, 1933.

E. B. THURSTON MOVEMENT GOVERNOR FOR GENERATOR VOLTAGE CONTROL Filed Feb. 20,

3 SheetsSheet 2 Nov. 28, 1933. E. B. THURSTON 1,937,102

MOVEMENT GOVERNOR FOR GENERATOR VOLTAGE CONTROL Filed Feb. 20, 1932 3 SheetsSheet 3 Fig. 7 a L E 6g, FRZ/ Patented Nov. 28, 1933 PATENT OFFICE MOVEMENT GOVERNOR FOR GENERATOR VOLTAGE CONTROL Ernest B. Thurston, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The Haughton Elevator & Machine Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 20, 1932. Serial No. 594,372

14 Claims.

This invention relates to generator voltage control in connection with the operation of electric elevators, with special reference to its utility in correcting the level of the elevator as it is stopped at a i'loor.

In the operation of elevators by means of a motor generator with a shunt field, which has a high resistance to reduce power loss, it requires an appreciable time after the power is turned on, to build up the field current to its full value, owing to the high inductance. This slow action is quite desirable in the operation of the elevator, but it does not permit positive control in notching the car up or down and does not operate with complete satisfaction with an automatic floor leveler.

With these conditions in mind, it is the object of the present invention to provide a device adapted to become eiiective when the operator is notching the car up or down, or adapted to be associated with any standard floor leveler for temporarily cutting out resistance from the shunt field circuit of the generator. Provision is made, however, for restoring the circuit through this resistance as soonas the elevator car starts to move. In the present embodiment of the invention this is accomplished by means of a switch which is opened by. the initial movement of the elevator driving drum. p

The invention will be more specifically explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the relay assembly which constitutes a part of the invention;

Figure 2 is a view taken on the line 2--2 of Fi 1;

I Figure 3 is a View taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Figure 5 is a View taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1;

' Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the wiring of the relay assembly; and

' Figure '7- is a wiring diagram of the circuits controlling the operation of the relay and the elevator.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the invention includes a relay assembly supported, as shown in Fig. 1, by a bracket or housing 10 near the elevator drum 11 or some other moving part of the elevator. Secured within the bracket or housing 10, is a base 12 of insulating material, on which is mounted the coil 13, The ends of this coil are connected to binding posts 14 and 15 respectively.

The armature 16 is secured to an insulating plate 17, which is supported by the arm 18 of a bracket 19 associated with the base 12'. The plate 60 1'? is mounted for rocking movement by means of a fulcrum pin 2c which is yieldingly held by a .pring 2i and, except when the coil 13 is enerized, the armature 16 is held away from the limiting position being determined by a stop pin or screw 24.

A bracket is secured to the plate 17 and carries two switch contact posts 26 and 2'7 which are connected to each other by a connector 28, one 7 of the posts being connected through wire 29, post 30 and wire 31 to the coil terminal 15. Coopera'iing with the contact post 26 is a movable contact 32 carried by an insulating plate 33 secured to a block 3% which is mounted for rocking 75 movement on a spindle 35 carried by the bracket 25. Similarly, cooperating with the contact post 2'"! is a movable contact 36 carried by an insulating plate 37 secured to a block 38 which is also supported for rocking movement on the spindle 30 35. The contact 32 is connected by a wire 39 to a terminal 40 and the contact 36 is connected by a wire 41 to a terminal 42.

A cam shaft 43 is also journaled in the bracket 25 and secured to this shaft is a depending switch 9 Cams46 and i? are secured to the shaft 43 and the plates 33 and 37 are urged upwardly into contact with the respective cams by springs 48 mounted on pins 49 which are secured to the bracket 25 and project downwardly through re- 5 spective plates. The contacts 32 and 36 are normally urged into contact with the respective posts 25 and 2'7 by springs 50 which are mounted on pins 51 carried by the plates 33 and 37 and which are adapted to yield as the plates assume 10 their uppermost position.

If we assume that there is an up-direction starting circuit through the coil 13 and the contacts 26 and 32 and that, in starting, the member l1 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, the trip extension 45, which has been brought into engagement with the member 11 by the energization of the coil 13, moves with the member ll and immediately causes the cam 4:6 to open the contacts 26 and 32 just as soon as ore of the coil by a pin 22 and spring 23, the 65 the elevator starts to move. This breaks the updirection starting circuit and puts the car on the normal operating circuit. Similarly, if the down-direction starting circuit is through contacts 27 and 36, the starting in a downward direction immediately causes the cam 47 to open the contacts 27 and 36 and break the starting circuit.

The operation of the relay assembly and utility in cutting out resistance to overcome more quickly the inductance of the shunt field and thus subjecting the movement of the elevator to a more positive control in starting will be more clearly apparent when considered in connection with the wiring diagram in Fig. 7. This diagram shows the wiring for generator voltage control of elevator speeds. The generator armature is indicated at G and the elevator motor armature at M. In accordance with this diagram when the car switch 52 is moved to connect the contacts 53 and 54, a circuit is established from supply line L1 through line 55, door interlock 56, contacts 53 and 54, line 57, limit switch 58, updirection relay coil UFO, brake switch coil 60, and safety devices 61 to return line L2. The energization of coil UFC closes the normally open contacts UF, UFz, UF3 and UFi and opens the normally closed contacts UF'. A circuit is thus established from supply line L1 through the relay coil 13, located adjacent the elevator machine or any other moving part of the elevator, through the slow operating motor field switch MF, contacts UF, now closed, and line 62 to the return line L2. At the same time there is a circuit established through normally closed contacts 26, 32 and DF, forcing relay coil FRC and switch MP. The coil FRC now closes switches PR1 and FRz. Also a circuit has been established through the coil MFC which opens switch MF, but not until the switch FRi is closed, since the switch FRi operates more quickly than the switch MF. There is now a shunt field circuit through switch FRz, UF2 and UF3, cutting out a part of resistance R until the drum 11 starts to move in the up-direction as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, This movement, through the medium of the trip arm 44, opens contacts 26, 32 and cuts out the coil FRC, which opens contacts FR1 and cuts out coil 13. The contacts FRz are also opened as soon as the coil FRC is cut out, and the current for low speed is supplied normally through resistance R. As soon as the coil 13 is cut out the armature 16 is released and the trip arm 44 is raised, so that it will not drag on the drum 11 after its function has been performed.

When the car switch 52 is now moved over to a high speed contact 63, a circuit is established through coil AC, which closes contacts A and cuts out resistance R from the generator field circuit.

In operating the elevator car in a downward direction, as the car switch is moved to engage contacts 54 and 63 successively, the down-direction relay coil DFC, the switches DF, DF2, DFs, DF4, DF' and 27, 36 function in the same manner as the corresponding parts function during the up-direction operation above described.

It will be apparent to those skilled in this art that this invention may be associated with any modern elevator installation in which the elevator is driven by either an alternating current or direct current motor or any power drive. Any type of leveling device may be used in connection therewith. On slow speed elevators, it is possible to use a single set of contacts, without directional switches, to close the circuit for actuating the forcing relay, although with such an arrangement, if the car over-runs the floor, the contacts controlling the forcing relay will remain open, so that upon reversing the motor circuit, the forcing relay will not be initially energized.

It will be understood that the invention embraces all such modifications as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an electric elevator system, a generator having a field circuit with a resistance therein, an elevator car, a hoisting motor therefor, means operable to close said circuit, mechanism driven by the hoisting motor, when the circuit is closed, to move the car up or down, means for temporarily cutting out a part of said resistance upon closing the circuit, and means actuated by said mechanism, as soon as the car starts, to reinsert said resistance.

2. In an electric elevator system, a generator having a field circuit with a resistance therein, an elevator car, a hoisting motor therefor, 12. car switch, means operable by said car switch in starting to close said field circuit and at the same time to cut out a part of said resistance, mechanism driven by the hoisting motor, when the circuit is closed, to move the car up or down, and means actuated by said mechanism, as soon as the car starts, to reinsert said resistance.

3. In an electric elevator system, a generator having a field circuit with a resistance therein, a hoisting motor, an elevator car movable up or down by the operation of the hoisting motor, a. car switch controlling said circuit, a relay assembly rendered operative by the closing of said car switch to cut out a part of said resistance, and means to render said relay assembly inoperative as soon as the car starts.

4. In an electric elevator system, a generator having a field circuit with a resistance therein, an elevator car, a car switch controlling said circuit.

a hoisting motor, mechanism driven by the hoisting motor, when the circuit is closed, to move the no car up or down, a relay assembly rendered operative by the closing of said car switch to cut out a part of said resistance, a trip shiftable by the actuation of said relay assembly into operative relation to said mechanism, and means controlled 195 by said trip to render the relay assembly inoperative as soon as the car starts.

5. In an electric elevator system, a generator having a field circuit with a resistance therein, an elevator car, means operable to close said circuit, a hoisting motor, mechanism driven by the hoisting motor, when the circuit is closed, to move the car up or down, a trip, a relay for shifting said trip into engagement with said mechanism, a. forcing relay for cutting out a part of said resistance in starting, means for energizing said relays as the circuit is closed for starting, and means connected with said trip to cut out the forcing relay as soon as the car starts.

6. In an electric elevator system, an elevator car, a generator having a field circuit with a resistance therein, a relay for closing said circuit, a hoisting motor, mechanism driven by the hoisting motor, when the circuit is closed, to operate the elevator car, a forcing relay assembly energized 145 by the operation of said car operating relay to cut out a part of said resistance, and means actuated by said mechanism, as soon as the car starts, to reinsert said resistance. 1

7. In an electric elevator system, an elevator 150 car, a generator having a field circuit with a resistance therein, a relay for closing said circuit to operate the elevator car, a forcing relay assembly energized by the operation of said car operating relay to cut out part of said resistance, and means to render said relay assembly inoperative as soon as the car starts.

8. In an electric elevator system, an elevator car, a generator having a field circuit with a resistance therein, a relay for closing said circuit, a hoisting motor, mechanism driven by the hoisting motor, when the circuit is closed, to operate the elevator car, a forcing relay assembly energized by the operation of said car operating relay to cut out a part of said resistance, a trip shiftable by the actuation of said forcing relay assembly into operative relation tov said mechanism, and means controlled by said trip to render the relay assembly inoperative as soon as the car starts.

9. In an electric elevator system, a generator having a field circuit with a resistance therein, an elevator car, means to close said circuit, a hoisting motor, mechanism driven by said hoisting motor, when the circuit is closed, to start the car, a coil energized by the closing of said circuit, an armature for said coil, a trip connected with said armature and shiftable thereby into engagement with said mechanism when said coil is energized, means for cutting out a part of said resistance in starting the car, and means connected with said trip to reinsert said resistance as soon as the car starts.

10. In an elevator system, an elevator car, a generator having a field circuit with a resistance therein, a relay for closing said circuit, a hoisting motor, mechanism driven bysaid motor, when the circuit is closed, to operate the elevator car, a coil energized by the closing of said circuit, an armature for said coil, a trip connected with said armature and shiftable thereby into engagement with said mechanism when said coil is energized, a forcing relay energized by the operation of the car operating relay to cut out part of said resistance, and means actuated by said trip to cut out said forcing relay as soon as the car starts.

11. In an elevator system, a generator having a field circuit with a resistance therein, an elevator car, a car switch, directional relays controlled by said car switch to close said field circuit, a hoisting motor, mechanism driven by the hoisting motor, when the circuit is closed, to operate the car up or down, means for initially cutting out a part of said resistance as soon as the field circuit is completed for operation in either direction, means for re-inserting said resistance as soon as the car starts, and means for again temporarily cutting out said resistance as soon as a field circuit is completed for operating the car in the opposite direction.

12. In an elevator system, a generator-having a field circuit with a resistance therein, an elevator car, means including directional relays operable to close the field circuit, a hoisting motor mechanism driven by the hoisting motor, when the circuit is closed, to start the car in either direction, a trip shiftable into operative engagement with said mechanism as the field circuit is closed in either direction, a relay assembly including directional contacts and rendered operative with the closing of the field circuit for cutting out a part of said resistance, and means actuated by the trip, as the car starts, to interrupt the operation of the relay assembly, leaving it in position for operation when the field circuit is closed for operation in the opposite direction.

13. In an elevator system, an elevator car, a generator having a field circuit with a resistance therein, means including directional starting relays operable to close said circuit, a hoisting motor, mechanism driven by the hoisting motor to operate the car up or down respectively, as the circuit is closed in either direction, a trip, means to shift said trip into operative engagement with said mechanism whenever the field circuit is closed, a forcing relay having a circuit with up and down direction branches under control of the starting relays for cutting out a part of said resistance in starting, a switch in each of said branches, and means actuated by the trip, as the car starts, to open the switch in the branch corresponding to the direction in which the car is moving, and thereby reinsert said resistance in the field circuit.

14. In an elevator system, an elevator car, a generator having a field circuit with a resistance therein, a starting relay in the circuit, a hoisting motor, mechanism driven by the hoisting motor to operate the car as the circuit is closed through the starting relay, a forcing relay operable in conjunction with the starting relay to cut out a part of said resistance, a switch in the circuit of said forcing relay, a trip, means rendered operative in conjunction with the starting relay to shift said trip into operative engagement with said mechanism, and means actuated by the trip, as the car starts to move, to open said switch and thereby reinsert said resistance in the field circuit.

ERNEST B. THURSTON. 

